Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1887-01-11

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or dangerous patients disturb his sleep.
And while he sleeps the corn and cattle
grow in value.
All these reflections came TO the mind
of the younp M. ID. MS he gazed about
over the old homestead. At last he
turned about to enter the house. He
had wandered around to tho rear of
the farmhouse. and was coming up to
the kitchen when he discovered some
one sitting on the back porch who
attracted his attention. 1t was only II
little boy, not over six or under four
years of age to Judge by his face, though
his body was dwarfed and his little
form misshapen. He was a little lunch
back, with a sweet patient face, which
bore evidences of suffering, and yet the
large blue eyes were clear and bright.
He sat in his little rocking chair enjoy
ing the warm sunlight which streamed
in upon the latticed portico.
"Where did the child come from P"
he asked aloud, though he evidently did
not expect an answer for he was too
far away from the child for it to hear,
and he saw no one else. Some one else
saw him, however. Peddler Pete was
an early riser. and on this morning. AS
was his usual custom when at farmer
Stu rs. he III his pipe and took a
stroll about the place y before break
fast.
aye never saw that little TELLER
before ?" he asked. stepping from
behind n cherry bush within three or
four feet of Warren. and nodding to-
ward the little cripple.
"No. l never saw him, nor heard of
him before.
Hes well known all over Sandy
Fork and Pete pressed his finger in
his nine bowl.
"That may be true, Pete. and he still
be n stranger 10 me. You know have
NOT been abont Sandy Fork very mueh
for the last five wears Three wears in
COLLEGE and then two in the medical
school have taken considerable from
INV life"
That's so, why doggon it, I'd forgot
that said Pete, pulling away at his
pipe.
"That Is an interesting child"
Pete shook his head sadly and said :
YES, he's good child and will never
be at home any place save in Heaven.
| He's Just one o. them good little boys
the Sunday-school books tell us about
who alters die; he's got to die, and
then guess some one will write book
about him"
.Who is he, and why is he here ?"
"Didn't We ever hear of Mr.. Lake
man, Benjamin l believe, who lived
| down on Sandy Fork creek on the old
Plumber place P"
II think l heard of the name q year
or 50 ago when ] was home during
vacatlon,n 1fr.g
"Well, that's his child"
"Where is Mr.. Lakeman ?"
20 him ? he's dead
"And the boys motherP P" a
"Shes dead too, died fust," said
Pete, sadly, refilling his pipe.
nAnd the child is heir TO the Plumber
farmP Wen, it's very valuable, and he
has ample support."
oNot much" said Pete. striking a
match and applying it to his pipe.
."Why not P'i
"The little fellow was euchred out o.
it some way. He hasn't nothin' but a
hundred and sixty acres o. brush and
hills not worth ten cents an acre"
"Then father keeps him MS a matter
of charityPr s lt'itl
"No, boy, yer wrong agin-I should
have said doctor, but l forgot" and
Pete laughed. But Warren was too
much interested in the little cripple bo-
folp him to heed tho little Joke of his
friend, the peddler.
"You say my father does not keep
himP" he asked.
mo, yer father does keep him; but
not as matter Of charity" said Pete.
THE has other means them"
.Not dollap,n tiA
"Why, Pete, what do you meanpn
Warren asked, in astonishment, "you
talk In riddles; please explain your
self" @Ae-3
claw, haw, haw, / like to see We puz-
zled, boy-no, doc, Imean-butrllnot
keep You on the ragged edge O. sus-
pense any, longer. That boy is sup
ported by his sister,
"His sisterP'
Eyes, Helen Lakeman. There were
only two o. them when tho old. folks
died. didn't know much about the
family cos I'd never sold 'em much
goods, they bein' out o. my regular
range, ye know. But whom Lakeman
died it seems every body, even his own
gal, thought he was well-to-do in the
world, but some debts come agiD hiS
estate and took every thing except that
brush aud hill land, too poor to sprout
beans, Wall, there were the gal, then
fourteen, for it was two years ago, and
her crippled brother only four. She
had some edgecation an tried to keep